The present invention relates in general to furniture with individual legs, such as chairs and stools, and more particularly, to a system that helps stabilize furniture with individual legs, such as a chair or stool with individual legs. Most chairs, and especially dining room, kitchen, patio, and other types of chairs and stools, such as those for sitting at a kitchen countertop, breakfast bar, or other bar area, are prone to tipping and/or tipping over. In some cases, when a chair is slid, one or more of the ends or feet of the chair legs has a tendency to catch (e.g., on an uneven surface) and cause or encourage the chair to tip. In addition, children and others who occupy such chairs will at times lean back or push away from another object (e.g., a fixture such as a cabinet, countertop, or wall) which can also cause or encourage the chairs to tip. The occupants of such chairs can be injured when the chairs tip over. In addition, the chairs and/or the area surrounding the chair can be damaged.
A few devices for improving the stability of chairs or the like are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,900 to Iglesias discloses a set of chair stabilizing devices for rotatable attachment to the base of a lawn or beach chair to prevent sinking in sand or tipping over in sand or uneven surfaces. However, the operation, structure, and mechanism involved with this set of devices is different from the present invention. For example, a gripping member included with each device in the set appears designed to receive a horizontally extending leg member portion of that particular type of chair.
U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0170760 to Peterson discloses a device for preventing tipping over of a chair that includes individual legs. More specifically, the device appears to include a leg member, a support foot attached at an angle to the leg member, and clamps to secure the device on the back legs of the chair with individual legs. The leg member appears to be secured such that when the chair is tilted back the bottom portion of the support foot will prevent the chair from tipping further. However, the operation, structure, and mechanism involved in this device are different than the present invention. While devices, such as those described above, have been developed for increasing the stability of chairs, a solution for preventing tipping over of existing chairs still needs to be provided. There is a need to provide a device or system that stabilizes furniture, including chairs, with individual leg members to make the furniture less likely to tip over when a lateral force is applied. There is also a need to provide a stabilizing device that can be retrofitted to myriad shapes and sizes of furniture with legs. There is also a need to provide a simple, aesthetically pleasing solution for preventing tipping of such furniture and chairs. In addition, there is a need for a stabilizing device that prevents tipping of furniture and chairs without creating a substantial trip hazard. In addition, there is a need for such a device that is removable, easily installed, and easily retrofitted to furniture, including chairs, without the need for tools.